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Torchwood #12
The House That Jack Built
Jackson Leaves - an Edwardian house in Penylan.
Built 1906, semi-detached, three storeys, spacious, beautifully presented. Left in good condition to Rob and Julia by Rob's late aunt.
It's an ordinary sort of a house. Except for the way the rooms don't stay in the same places. And the strange man that turns up in the airing cupboard. And the apparitions. And the temporal surges that attract the attentions of Torchwood.
And the fact that the first owner of Jackson Leaves in 1906 was a Captain Jack Harkness...
Featuring Captain Jack Harkness as played by John Barrowman, with Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones as played by Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd, in the hit series created by Russell T Davies for BBC Television.
Built 1906, semi-detached, three storeys, spacious, beautifully presented. Left in good condition to Rob and Julia by Rob's late aunt.
It's an ordinary sort of a house. Except for the way the rooms don't stay in the same places. And the strange man that turns up in the airing cupboard. And the apparitions. And the temporal surges that attract the attentions of Torchwood.
And the fact that the first owner of Jackson Leaves in 1906 was a Captain Jack Harkness...
Featuring Captain Jack Harkness as played by John Barrowman, with Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones as played by Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd, in the hit series created by Russell T Davies for BBC Television.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2009
12 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 1, 2020
first of all, i miss tosh.
second, jack is a cheesy ass bitch and it's a true to testament to john barrowman's acting skills that we all immediately start taking off our pants whenever he starts speaking.
third, what is the point of rhys, honestly? for a show that isn't shy at all about killing off important characters, the fact that he makes it out after a death experience is..... something. not to mention he's then used as an unnecessary point of tension between gwen and jack. i could vomit.
anyway, this was alright i guess. it stopped making any semblance of sense around the 70% mark and failed to really keep my attention after that.
second, jack is a cheesy ass bitch and it's a true to testament to john barrowman's acting skills that we all immediately start taking off our pants whenever he starts speaking.
third, what is the point of rhys, honestly? for a show that isn't shy at all about killing off important characters, the fact that he makes it out after a death experience is..... something. not to mention he's then used as an unnecessary point of tension between gwen and jack. i could vomit.
anyway, this was alright i guess. it stopped making any semblance of sense around the 70% mark and failed to really keep my attention after that.
August 25, 2016
This book is based on the television series. It takes place after season two. In this one, there are strange deaths happening and there is one common factor which is an old house that Jack was the original owner. Torchwood investigates.
This book is essentially a haunted house story. For the first half it was a decent book as the haunted house story was interesting but brought nothing new to the table. The final act is what really sold me on this book. The Torchwood twist was finally revealed and I enjoyed it. The highlight of this book is how this book deals with the science fiction trope of people out of time and its consequences. It touched upon this with Jack and his situation. Also, the author references other events from other books in this story and it was a very nice nod to them. I appreciated this. It wasn't done that if you haven't read those books that you would be lost.
This was a quick read and it would have been a great episode of the television series. The characters were portrayed correctly as the author captures Jack's confidence, Ianto's kind nature, and Gwen's helpfulness. If you enjoy the show I believe you will enjoy this novel.
This book is essentially a haunted house story. For the first half it was a decent book as the haunted house story was interesting but brought nothing new to the table. The final act is what really sold me on this book. The Torchwood twist was finally revealed and I enjoyed it. The highlight of this book is how this book deals with the science fiction trope of people out of time and its consequences. It touched upon this with Jack and his situation. Also, the author references other events from other books in this story and it was a very nice nod to them. I appreciated this. It wasn't done that if you haven't read those books that you would be lost.
This was a quick read and it would have been a great episode of the television series. The characters were portrayed correctly as the author captures Jack's confidence, Ianto's kind nature, and Gwen's helpfulness. If you enjoy the show I believe you will enjoy this novel.
July 4, 2011
This is not one of the original Books I Own. It came into my possession after this project began. I said I wouldn't buy or acquire anymore books until I'd read a decent amount of the Books I Own, but...yeah... I lied.
I justify this book coming onto my shelves by saying that I didn't actually buy it. It was on my Paperback Swap auto-request list. So one day, it just sort of arrived. Who am I to look a gift book in the mouth?
First, let me give you some relevant back story. Torchwood is a British sci-fi series that focuses on a supposedly secret team of alien hunters led by an oversexed, pansexual human from the 51st century who has traveled back in time searching for an alien (called the Doctor of Doctor Who fame) to cure his plaguing immortality. They have a wickedly cool underground base and they protect Earth from anything that may drift in through time and space meaning to do us harm. In short, they are badasses. For those of you that know Torchwood, this book is set post-series 2 but pre-Children of Earth. At this point, Torchwood is made up of Jack Harkness, the previously mentioned leader, Gwen Cooper-Williams, former Cardiff police officer, and Ianto Jones, logistical magician and looks good in a suit. They have tragically open positions for a medical doctor and a technician. Other characters include Gwen's hot headed but lovable husband, Rhys, and Gwen's former police partner, Police Constable Andy Davidson. Also important to know for this book is that Jack and Ianto are in a "this used to be just good fun casual fucking but now it's something more, oh God, what are we to each other?" relationship. Which tends to happen when you go to bed with your oversexed, but gorgeous, boss who has (quite literally) hundreds of years of experience.
I've read several of the Torchwood tie in novels and they have been universally bad. I could have found the same quality of story telling and character development on a 14 year old's fan website. It was tough reading but, since it was pretty much free, I thought I'd give this one a try.
Thank goodness I did. It is by far one of the best tie-in novels I've read for any series. The story was concise but interesting. Jack has been hanging around Cardiff for several hundred years and he's got a problem keeping his pants zipped and/or staying out of the lives of others, so obviously there should be some skeletons in his closet. This is a topic that is only barely touched upon in the actual Torchwood series so there's plenty of room for an author to play in that area.
With everything that is surely in Jack's past, a haunted house doesn't seem too extreme, right? When that house is being haunted by inter-dimensional beings that feed off pain and suffering and are willing to tear our reality to shreds to get to it, it gets a bit more problematic. Jack's immortality and the pain that has caused others acts as a beacon for these creatures, bringing them to Cardiff, to a house Jack purchased in the early 1900s. The creatures have reached back through time to amplify the suffering Jack has caused to others and to those who lived in the house after him but never knew him. They, and Jack, leave a trail of broken hearts, murder, and suicide in their wake. This all comes to a head as time collapses around the house and a new couple move in and immediately begin experiencing the creatures' influence.
The character development is minimal but consistent with the Tv show. I rather prefer this in a tie-in novel. I don't want them to go pushing too far and have that not be reflected in episodes of the show that occur after the book. We get a better look at Jack's past and how his actions there affect him, what the consequences of immortality may be. This is something I have criticized the show for not exploring deeply enough. Jack is a very secretive man, and that's good, but it makes it hard to know him without the appropriate plot set up. The House That Jack Built gives us that opportunity. It also gives us more insight into the Jack and Ianto relationship. Jack is emotionally distance, Ianto craves definitions but doesn't want to be needy, and Gwen worries that her friend and co-worker may be getting in over his head. All in all, a very realistic portrayal of the grey space between casual and serious.
We are also introduced to several original characters including an alien doctor who is too immoral for Torchwood's team members and a young couple now trapped by the house they inherited from a long forgotten aunt. The couple are particularly interesting to me. Their troubles began before Jack's influence came into their lives. We can't always blame our misfortune on outside forces, even when we really want to.
Guy Adams' prose is quirky and interesting, much like Torchwood itself, but the book leaves you with a feeling of uneasiness. Much like the sun coming out after a rain storm, but with dark clouds still over head. Things should be getting better, but maybe it's not the sky at all. Maybe it's always been you.
I justify this book coming onto my shelves by saying that I didn't actually buy it. It was on my Paperback Swap auto-request list. So one day, it just sort of arrived. Who am I to look a gift book in the mouth?
First, let me give you some relevant back story. Torchwood is a British sci-fi series that focuses on a supposedly secret team of alien hunters led by an oversexed, pansexual human from the 51st century who has traveled back in time searching for an alien (called the Doctor of Doctor Who fame) to cure his plaguing immortality. They have a wickedly cool underground base and they protect Earth from anything that may drift in through time and space meaning to do us harm. In short, they are badasses. For those of you that know Torchwood, this book is set post-series 2 but pre-Children of Earth. At this point, Torchwood is made up of Jack Harkness, the previously mentioned leader, Gwen Cooper-Williams, former Cardiff police officer, and Ianto Jones, logistical magician and looks good in a suit. They have tragically open positions for a medical doctor and a technician. Other characters include Gwen's hot headed but lovable husband, Rhys, and Gwen's former police partner, Police Constable Andy Davidson. Also important to know for this book is that Jack and Ianto are in a "this used to be just good fun casual fucking but now it's something more, oh God, what are we to each other?" relationship. Which tends to happen when you go to bed with your oversexed, but gorgeous, boss who has (quite literally) hundreds of years of experience.
I've read several of the Torchwood tie in novels and they have been universally bad. I could have found the same quality of story telling and character development on a 14 year old's fan website. It was tough reading but, since it was pretty much free, I thought I'd give this one a try.
Thank goodness I did. It is by far one of the best tie-in novels I've read for any series. The story was concise but interesting. Jack has been hanging around Cardiff for several hundred years and he's got a problem keeping his pants zipped and/or staying out of the lives of others, so obviously there should be some skeletons in his closet. This is a topic that is only barely touched upon in the actual Torchwood series so there's plenty of room for an author to play in that area.
With everything that is surely in Jack's past, a haunted house doesn't seem too extreme, right? When that house is being haunted by inter-dimensional beings that feed off pain and suffering and are willing to tear our reality to shreds to get to it, it gets a bit more problematic. Jack's immortality and the pain that has caused others acts as a beacon for these creatures, bringing them to Cardiff, to a house Jack purchased in the early 1900s. The creatures have reached back through time to amplify the suffering Jack has caused to others and to those who lived in the house after him but never knew him. They, and Jack, leave a trail of broken hearts, murder, and suicide in their wake. This all comes to a head as time collapses around the house and a new couple move in and immediately begin experiencing the creatures' influence.
The character development is minimal but consistent with the Tv show. I rather prefer this in a tie-in novel. I don't want them to go pushing too far and have that not be reflected in episodes of the show that occur after the book. We get a better look at Jack's past and how his actions there affect him, what the consequences of immortality may be. This is something I have criticized the show for not exploring deeply enough. Jack is a very secretive man, and that's good, but it makes it hard to know him without the appropriate plot set up. The House That Jack Built gives us that opportunity. It also gives us more insight into the Jack and Ianto relationship. Jack is emotionally distance, Ianto craves definitions but doesn't want to be needy, and Gwen worries that her friend and co-worker may be getting in over his head. All in all, a very realistic portrayal of the grey space between casual and serious.
We are also introduced to several original characters including an alien doctor who is too immoral for Torchwood's team members and a young couple now trapped by the house they inherited from a long forgotten aunt. The couple are particularly interesting to me. Their troubles began before Jack's influence came into their lives. We can't always blame our misfortune on outside forces, even when we really want to.
Guy Adams' prose is quirky and interesting, much like Torchwood itself, but the book leaves you with a feeling of uneasiness. Much like the sun coming out after a rain storm, but with dark clouds still over head. Things should be getting better, but maybe it's not the sky at all. Maybe it's always been you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2011
At about the halfway point, I was uncertain about this. I liked the plot and the secondary characters, but the style was beginning to annoy me. Every time the point of view changed, the story would "overlap" a little and you'd get a repeat of a previous scene, just from another character's POV. Then it sunk in. As the plot involves "time jumps" Guy Adams was using this literary device to add to the fun! (At first I worried he was just padding things...sometimes it takes a while for things to sink into my thick skull!) There were some brilliant scenes here, and Adams has a great way with words. A few passages seemed overwritten for me, but that's a minor quibble. I LOVED Alexander. What a great addition (if temporary) to the Torchwood team!
May 4, 2021
This was such a brilliantly written book. Guy Adams really got the Torchwood characters spot on here; all their quirks, banter and mannerisms were captured perfectly and it felt like a fantastic little episode in book form. The pages flew by and it was great rejoining they Torchwood crew again- I really do miss this show!
Joining Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto on an adventure in a rainy and dismal Cardiff, where a house seems to be acting not at all as you would expect..
I loved the story and the plot, and it was very compelling. All in all, it was a great and entertaining little read!
Joining Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto on an adventure in a rainy and dismal Cardiff, where a house seems to be acting not at all as you would expect..
I loved the story and the plot, and it was very compelling. All in all, it was a great and entertaining little read!
January 2, 2021
It was just like watching an episode of Torchwood!
The good old days when Torchwood was brilliant and Dr Who was my tv highlight of the week!
It was a well presented story with a clear story, and was quite gruesome in places. Like watching an episode on TV there was little depth and nuances to the story. I enjoyed it though!
The good old days when Torchwood was brilliant and Dr Who was my tv highlight of the week!
It was a well presented story with a clear story, and was quite gruesome in places. Like watching an episode on TV there was little depth and nuances to the story. I enjoyed it though!
November 30, 2009
I thought this was one of the better Torchwood books I've read. I liked the interaction between the characters, liked the plot, liked the changing points of view, and it was dark but not oppressively so.
Very entertaining and I'll look for more books by Guy Adams.
Very entertaining and I'll look for more books by Guy Adams.
February 1, 2011
Jack is the biggest homewrecker ever, aliens take notice, chaos ensues- the novel.
March 2, 2016
Not one of the better Torchwood books. Wasn't horrible (see X-files tie-ins), but not very good.
October 6, 2024
I didn’t love it but it was perfectly fine. An interesting plot but in the end, I just didn’t find that I was wowed by it. Wasn’t a fan of new character Alexander but the three main characters are written really well, so much so it was incredibly easy to picture them in this novel. Also enjoyed the references to some of the other Torchwood books.
November 13, 2010
I enjoyed the exposure to Jack, Ianto, Gwen, and a new character Alexander, as well as the additional look into Jack's past and hidden emotions. The book was a fast read, and it neither disappointed or impressed me.
January 1, 2012
Much, MUCH better than I thought it would be. Torchwood comfort food, of a high calibre. A generally well-thought-out creepiness oozes from this novel's plot...much to its benefit. I can easily see it filmed as an episode.
October 14, 2011
This was one of my favorites from this series of books. The author reveals a lot about the inner workings of Capt. Jack, and tells a great story.
August 15, 2021
As with many of the other Torchwood novels, this one captures the characters well, and places them in a story that could easily be imagined on screen. This is set post-season 2, so features Jack, Gwen and Ianto.
The story centres around what seems to be a typical house in Cardiff where strange things start happening. Jack goes to investigate, and we start to learn a bit more of his back story - one which Ianto and Gwen discover through their own means. Jack also recruits an acerbic alien to fulfil the team's medical needs.
The story has strong elements of haunting/horror, which are well written, captivating and horrifying at the same time. The chaos builds until, near the end, it's a bit difficult to figure out what is going on - I'm not totally sure if that's intentional or not! The story jumps between time periods, often leaving the reader to figure out when they are, but this device actually works well for this story.
I'm not totally convinced the alien medic was needed. I think I would have preferred the team to have solved the puzzle themselves, but the character was definitely memorable.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, and one that transported me right into the Torchwood universe.
The story centres around what seems to be a typical house in Cardiff where strange things start happening. Jack goes to investigate, and we start to learn a bit more of his back story - one which Ianto and Gwen discover through their own means. Jack also recruits an acerbic alien to fulfil the team's medical needs.
The story has strong elements of haunting/horror, which are well written, captivating and horrifying at the same time. The chaos builds until, near the end, it's a bit difficult to figure out what is going on - I'm not totally sure if that's intentional or not! The story jumps between time periods, often leaving the reader to figure out when they are, but this device actually works well for this story.
I'm not totally convinced the alien medic was needed. I think I would have preferred the team to have solved the puzzle themselves, but the character was definitely memorable.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read, and one that transported me right into the Torchwood universe.
July 1, 2017
This was a great adventure with Jack, Ianto, and Gwen. It jumped around in point of view, so we get to see events unfold from the perspective of these characters as well as the perspectives of outsiders looking in. There's a hilarious jerk of a doctor who has to navigate the Torchwood Hub somehow in a wheelchair, swearing the whole time. There a poor chap who sinks into the sidewalk and dies. And there's a charming young couple who just inherited a house. A house that Jack Harkness once lived (and loved) in that now seems to be haunted. Oh goodie!
This book had a lot of great moments, including a "Jack, the fact that you used to live here is actually not a coincidence" moment and an "awwwwwwwwwwwww, poor frozen!Ianto!" moment. I really enjoyed this book and getting to see this author's take on some of my favorite characters.
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: A book with a title that's a character's name
(okay, I read this to mean a book with the character's name in the title... which might be a little off in interpretation, but it's already down in pen, so I'm stuck counting it as such)
This book had a lot of great moments, including a "Jack, the fact that you used to live here is actually not a coincidence" moment and an "awwwwwwwwwwwww, poor frozen!Ianto!" moment. I really enjoyed this book and getting to see this author's take on some of my favorite characters.
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge: A book with a title that's a character's name
(okay, I read this to mean a book with the character's name in the title... which might be a little off in interpretation, but it's already down in pen, so I'm stuck counting it as such)
October 24, 2020
This and Slow Decay were both the only Torchwood novels I was really interested in because one was a haunted house story whilst the either was a dark little story with horiffic imagery. So I read Slow Decay a year ago which I loved and decided I should give this one a go as well and since it's nearing Halloween why not?
This was a very good haunted house story that dealt with not only Jack's past but also deals with some timey-wimey concepts as well. The story takes it's time to get going but once it does it ends up being a story with plenty of scares, horrific imagery, wonderful characterization but with a very well written and thought out story that just flies by! 9/10
This was a very good haunted house story that dealt with not only Jack's past but also deals with some timey-wimey concepts as well. The story takes it's time to get going but once it does it ends up being a story with plenty of scares, horrific imagery, wonderful characterization but with a very well written and thought out story that just flies by! 9/10
December 25, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book. I loved the ghost story vibe of it, the explanation was a bit wild, but I didn't mind. I love how it focuses on Jack and his past. Guy Adam's wrote the characters spot on and everyone got enough time within the story. I especially enjoyed Ianto's part. Other books sometimes neglect him too much.
May 17, 2017
I have never seen the Torchwood series and as I feared, you do need some background of how the Torchwood world works before you start reading this book. Also, I didn't like the attitude of many of the characters, for some reason they just annoyed me.
May 25, 2022
Miss Tosh and Owen, Ianto receives far too many homophobic comments, Jack is so useless and Gwen is bloody annoying. The TV series did not utilise ghosts anywhere near enough. The books and radio dramas are full of ghosts and they’re always fantastic
June 4, 2024
One of the better books of the range, this one has good chemistry between the trio, with Ianto never failing to disappoint in the sarcasm department (although you're more than a shag, Ianto), some good exploration into Jack's past, and a nice sci-fi twist on the concept of a haunted house.
August 21, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this, I think the plot is compelling and of course anything involving Jack's dodgy past will turn out to be a good piece of Torchwood media! I definitely recommend this to a Torchwood fan.
June 5, 2019
Strange story
Get to find out a lot about Jack’s background is this story of house he bought a long time ago.
Get to find out a lot about Jack’s background is this story of house he bought a long time ago.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 15, 2021
Ow! This one gave me a headache!
May 2, 2021
Not bad, quite a few slow spots. I got jump scared by this book.
December 29, 2023
Excellent!
January 21, 2024
Another really enjoyable one. Interesting to see more glimpses of Jack's past and more talk about Ianto and the relationship the three characters have without Tosh and Owen there.
January 11, 2026
Formulaic but in a good way. A good read for when you don't want to have to think hard and just want entertainment
May 5, 2020
I absolutely loved getting more back story on Jack and loved the creepy vibe from the horror house. I'm still continuing to make the mistake of starting these books in the middle of the night here's hoping I'll learn my lesson next time.
January 12, 2012
Part of me is saddened that I've read this book and part of me is still bouncing up and down for joy. The sadness comes from the fact that this was the last Torchwood book that I owned and the store I would buy them from, no longer exists. Which means, unless I buy some on line (which I hate doing) this will be my last Torchwood read for a while. The bouncing is caused by the awesomeness that this book was and how frickin excellent it felt to delve into the world of Captain Jack and the rest of the team.
I'm a sucker for a haunted house story. I tend to devour every single one I come across and rarely ever walk away disappointed. Now I'm not saying this book would hold up to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, but it's a fun, energetic spin on the genre. The fact that it marries the haunted house with Torchwood means the book took the concept in a whole other direction than anything I've ever seen before.
Because of the time disruptions that Captain Jack has been so fond of making in the past, present, and future; some temporal beings have been attracted to the planet. Unfortunately for the planet, those being are hungry for that energy and are trying to rip a whole in the fabric of reality and consume the entire Earth. Now you may be asking yourself what the hell does this have to do with a haunted house story, and you would be right to ask that. Normally alien life forms bent on destroying the planet have nothing to do with ghosts and spirits walking the halls of a home.
The focus point these beings decided to focus on was the home formerly inhabited by Captain Jack. It's there that they feel they will be able to break through and get their hunger sated. Their constant attacks though, ripple through time, altering the history of the house. It causes the history of the house to become more violent. People who lived there and lived there happily, suddenly die violent deaths. Deaths they never experienced the first time around. The constant barrage also alters the flow of history in the house. It causes images of the past to appear in the present, it allows people from the past to actually materialize in the home, people who don't have the best intentions of the current occupants in mind.
Thankfully, though as usual it's a very close call, Captain Jack, Gwen, and Ianto are able to save the day, albeit with some help that like all things Torchwood, carries it's own baggage.
I'm grateful for this dose of Torchwood, but sad that it ended so suddenly.
I'm a sucker for a haunted house story. I tend to devour every single one I come across and rarely ever walk away disappointed. Now I'm not saying this book would hold up to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, but it's a fun, energetic spin on the genre. The fact that it marries the haunted house with Torchwood means the book took the concept in a whole other direction than anything I've ever seen before.
Because of the time disruptions that Captain Jack has been so fond of making in the past, present, and future; some temporal beings have been attracted to the planet. Unfortunately for the planet, those being are hungry for that energy and are trying to rip a whole in the fabric of reality and consume the entire Earth. Now you may be asking yourself what the hell does this have to do with a haunted house story, and you would be right to ask that. Normally alien life forms bent on destroying the planet have nothing to do with ghosts and spirits walking the halls of a home.
The focus point these beings decided to focus on was the home formerly inhabited by Captain Jack. It's there that they feel they will be able to break through and get their hunger sated. Their constant attacks though, ripple through time, altering the history of the house. It causes the history of the house to become more violent. People who lived there and lived there happily, suddenly die violent deaths. Deaths they never experienced the first time around. The constant barrage also alters the flow of history in the house. It causes images of the past to appear in the present, it allows people from the past to actually materialize in the home, people who don't have the best intentions of the current occupants in mind.
Thankfully, though as usual it's a very close call, Captain Jack, Gwen, and Ianto are able to save the day, albeit with some help that like all things Torchwood, carries it's own baggage.
I'm grateful for this dose of Torchwood, but sad that it ended so suddenly.
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